A �giant\' bounty from nature unearthed

Thiruvananthapuram: When R. Raveendran, a farmer from Pongummoodu in the city, began digging out the African white yam he had cultivated in his yard, he had no idea it would be an extraordinary crop.

Digging deeper and wider, he soon realised that he would need assistance for the job. It took four labourers and as many days to yank out the giant of a tuber from the soil. Weighing all of 275 kg, the huge yam soon grabbed attention, not only in his neighbourhood but all over the city.

The delighted farmer was complimented by scientists from the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) who themselves were taken aback by the size of the yam ( Dioscorea rotundata).